A Primitive Romance
by Napperon
Summary: First comes encounter, followed by romance. What the two don't understand is that their love for each other is hopeless and doomed to not survive. With love comes a tragedy... Or not? AU
1. Introduction

**Prologue- My Extremely Short Introductory**

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**Beginning Note**: I write this story not to offend anyone whether you believe or not that there had been other species of humans on earth that once lived. I wrote this because it spiked my interest. My biology class had recently begun a new chapter of human origins and how we (modern humans) may not have been the only human species due to fossil evidence. At first I thought this idea was absurd because I still kind of don't believe that we evolved from primates, but I do believe that we did evolve over a course of millions of years. I didn't want to believe that humans existed in other species but I now understand that just like other animals, we humans had been more than one species. I don't really like bringing up controversies like this because often science and religion clash. I hate when people argue over these ideas because us people as a whole really don't know the truth. We cannot make judgment of other people's beliefs because science or religion tells us that this person is wrong. I hope you all can enjoy this story and stay open minded to other ideas. P.S I am aware that there has been a discovery of a 3rd species of humans and that the other two species may have died of an ice age. My story is purely fiction.

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Millions of years ago, two species of humans coexisted on the earth, the Neanderthals and the Modern Humans. They were similar yet different in their evolution. Both species may have had leveled intelligence and both may have come across each. They naturally lived in separate regions, continuing their evolution from there. There came a time when groups of both species had ventured far into the unknown lands encountering one another in wonder. They looked the same yet different. They didn't know what each other was or how to communicate, let alone amongst themselves. Though questions rose, both species knew that interacting wasn't a wise choice and the competition for food and land was high, creating a great battle between the two. Tension rose when two individuals from the opposing species had entangled themselves in a hopeless romance, causing what would be called a war of savages. The beginning of one and the end of the other.

Natsume: Neanderthal

Mikan: Modern Human

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**End Note**: I am not sure if I will or will not write this story but it depends if you readers want me to. I am open to any suggestions please c;

Author: Napperon


	2. Chapter 1

**Beginning note**: Please read the **END NOTE** **BEFORE** you read the chapter. I admit, this story was hard to write for and I had to make some major adjustments.

**Disclaimer**: Gakuen Alice belongs to its rightful owner, not me.

Natsume: A mix between a Neanderthal and a Modern Human

Mikan: A Modern Human

*A Story Somewhat Like Romeo And Juliet Except Weirder*

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**Chapter One: A Boy Named Natsume**

There was a tribe of Neanderthals that had been hit hard by an Ice Age, leaving them without a home or much food to spare. It lead them to wander to the areas unknown in hopes of reaching the promise land where food and other resources were abundant. Their journey was long and hard which resulted in the death of many, reducing the numbers of individuals to just a few.

At last, the tribe had reached a territory that they could call home. It was vast and abundant in animals. There was enough to support the whole tribe as it was and could last them for many years to come... or so they thought.

Unbeknownst by them, further into the plains lived another tribe, but they were not like them. This group was composed of the Modern Humans. Individuals whom had already lived on the land before the Neanderthals for the same reasons as them. They were quite different in that the Modern Humans were just a bit smaller in width. Their appearances were just about similar or close enough.

There came a time where the Neanderthals had come across the Modern Humans during a hunt, causing a conflict over who's land it was. Their communication was minimum for they did not want anything to do with the other but they took any chance they could to kill one another.

The Neanderthals wanted the land all to themselves. More food could feed the mouths of the small population of people. Having the Modern Humans hunt on their land wouldn't allow this opportunity. Having such a small number of individuals in their community caused the Neanderthals to rethink their quest for domination over the land. Their population was much smaller than that of the Modern Humans whom had many women that constantly bore children. The Neanderthals could not compare since women were becoming scarce and few children were being born.

That's when the elders of the tribe took action. They proposed a plan which included the kidnapping of women in the tribe of Modern Humans and killing any man that witnessed them in their crime. It at first seemed impossible and almost ridiculous, but the Neanderthal men could not disagree.

"We do this for our kin!" They shouted into the orange sky.

During the night, they stealthily traveled into the region of the Modern Human tribe and snuck into the animal skin tents. Whenever a woman would attempt to scream, the men would knock them out cold before any sound could be made. Of course some men in the rival tribe had heard the commotion and tried to to stop the Neanderthals but they hardly succeeded. Only three women were saved.

The mission ended in the capture of fifteen woman. Fourteen of them grouped in twos so that one man could impregnate two women. The fifteenth woman was not known to the elders or the other Neanderthal men who had also kidnapped. This was because a certain man named Jiro, kept her hidden.

This woman was someone who interested Jiro very much. When he had kidnapped her, she had not thrashed nor screamed. She had kept quiet without a look of fear written on her face. It was as if she wanted him to take her away, and that he did. He was also mystified by her crimson colored eyes.

She was hidden in his tent as the elders were counting off the other captured women. These females were to have three children total for the man they were given to then discarded, their bodies burned. It was a cruel practice and Jiro feared for the safety of the woman he had kept hidden.

It would be expected that the men of the rival tribe would come back and rescue their women, but they didn't. Already losing them to those they saw as savages, they didn't want to retrieve something that had already been touched by the Neanderthal men. They instead ignored the issue and went back to their daily lives.

Children had lost their mothers and only had their fathers left to care for them, unless if their father chose a new mate, which was common. Losing fifteen women didn't hurt their population at all. The men continued their ritual of finding a mate and the women bearing them new possible hunters.

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Going back to the Neanderthals...

The elders did not trust Jiro. They knew he was hiding a secret because he was the only man to come back to the camp without a woman. This fact didn't help Jiro. He tried his best to keep his secret from being discovered but the constant visits the elders payed to his tent made the whole situation dangerous. Hiding her under a pile of cloth wouldn't work out too well and the elders would so catch up. There came a time when an elder had asked him what lay underneath his cloth and Jiro could only answer with another question. The elders were upset and their distrust grew even larger. They dismissed themselves from the tent, not even bothering to check the cloth, and left without another word.

One night, Jiro snuck the woman out to a cave he had long ago discovered as a child, and made her reside there. Unlike the other Neanderthal men whom treated the Modern Human women without care, Jiro made sure she was given a wholesome meal all the time. He hunted for her, brought her stolen cloth from his tribe so that she would not be lost to the cold. He did all that he could for her and he didn't even understand it himself.

"When will you mate?" An elder had asked Jiro one afternoon.

Jiro himself did not know the answer to that question. He hadn't thought of mating with any of the Neanderthal women or the Modern Human women. He was more concerned on one female who held all his attention.

"I don't know," said Jiro.

"I will find you a mate," the elder proposed.

Jiro frowned his attention still drawn by the woman that attracted him so. "That, I will do."

It took a while before Jiro started developing this strange emotion that made him feel so attached to her. The female, who's name was soon discovered to be Kaoru, interested him greatly. She was a person who didn't care that he had captured her nor did it bother her that she lived in a cave. It seemed to Jiro that she loved living in such a surrounding as she always found something to keep her company while he was away. She mainly painted different images on the walls of the cave, using the fire to help her see. Jiro enjoyed watching her at work and could watch her for a long time without getting tired or disinterested.

It reached a time where Kaoru openly spoke with Jiro, confessing the reason as to why she had not thrashed when he kidnapped her. Apparently, she use to sneak out of her tent during the night and would come close to the Neanderthal territory, where she would follow a boy to the very same cave she was in now. Kaoru made sure that he didn't know of her presence and she watched him as he took care of two animal cubs that didn't have a mother to care for them. It was very interesting to her as she had been told that all Neanderthal men were evil savages that killed anything in its path. This boy changed her opinion of the Neanderthals.

Kaoru never spoke to her mother or father about the boy she would watch nurse the two animals. She continued to sneak out every night, leaving when all were asleep, and would come close to the cave, observing the boy. Her father found out about her late night adventures and punished her for it, causing her to not go out ever again. A few days after her last visit, the cubs the boy had cared for could no longer be taken care of and had died.

Kaoru recognized this same boy to be Jiro, as she could never forget the face of the boy who she had developed feelings for.

After hearing her confession, Jiro felt the urge to grab Kaoru and enclose her in an embrace. He stood up from his position and walked over to her side, settling down in the space beside her. His hand circled around her waist, pulling her to his lap with both her legs wrapped around his hips. He nuzzled her neck, allowing her fingers to comb through his hair.

"Jiro..." Kaoru moaned.

Jiro pulled back and looked into her eyes. "Mate with me," he whispered.

In response, Kaoru pulled closer to his body, letting him know that she wanted him as her mate. At that reply, Jiro took the initiative to lay her down on an animal skin mat previously laying there for her to rest on when sleeping. Kaoru's hair splayed all over the ground around her head, creating a captivating site for Jiro. She looked up at Jiro as he slowly pulled her garments off, his fingers brushing against her smooth skin. He positioned himself in between her legs, his covering pushed up his waist, and slowly entered. Her cavern tightened even more around his cock as he went in further.

"Eurgh!"

Kaoru could not get use to the foreign object suddenly filling her virgin hole. It was painful in every way, as if her insides were being torn apart. She couldn't help but tense up as it filled her up even more. Jiro must have sensed her discomfort because he stopped his movements and stared down at her cringing face. Being the concerned one he was, he waited until she could get familiar with the sudden penetration. When her eye lids fluttered open, he took it as the chance to pull back then plumage deep within her.

The second thrust didn't hurt Kaoru as much and she soon she was able to adjust to his pounding, moaning each time he pummeled her. His pace grew as the feeling of pleasure intensified. Kaoru's arms wrapped around his neck, nails digging into his broad back and leaving a mark of their love making. Their pants grew louder and quicker until at their peaks, it came down to slow deep breathing, both reaching their climax.

Jiro slowly pulled out and collapsed beside his new mate as she regained her breath. She turned to face him on her side and cupped his cheek, her thumb gliding over his cheek bone.

"Kaoru, I..." Jiro began but Kaoru pressed a finger over his lips to hush him. She moved closer to his body to feel the warmth he emitted and swung a leg over his waist.

"I am your mate. I will stay beside you," she spoke. Jiro snuggled her closer to his chest and rubbed down her curved back, sending shivers up her spine. His chin rested atop her head full of smooth hair and his eyes began to close. Sleep overcame the both of them, their soft snores making the only sounds in the quiet night.

A couple months later Jiro had discovered that Kaoru was with child after seeing her belly grow rounder as the weeks went by. He panicked, not knowing what to do since having her cooped up in a small cave minimized the amount of movement she could make. There was also the danger of having an elder finally figure out the secret he had held for such a long time and he wasn't prepared for it to be revealed just yet. Since having a child meant a demand for more food, Jiro found himself hunting more than he usually would, causing even more suspicion among the elders.

8 months into the pregnancy, Kaoru started having contractions which lead to the birth of a premature baby boy. Jiro was both delighted yet fearful for the child who could be in danger, that included his mate.

The elders had found out that Jiro had late night expeditions to further distances and wouldn't come back until the early morning. Another hunter of the tribe was hired to follow Jiro one night to see wherever he may have been going. This news would then be reported back to the them and they would deal with the suspicious behavior.

As ordered, the hunter trailed Jiro under the dark night and witnessed a shocking site.

"He holds a woman to himself?!" The hunter shouted in his thoughts. He acted fast in retreating to the tribal camp and hastily reported to the elders. Their reactions were that of outrage.

"Let us go now! She and the child must be killed!"

Two more hunters were told to follow behind the elders as they paced behind the Neanderthal man who had been requested to spy. Just as the man spoke, they found Jiro holding a woman and an infant beside them.

"You!" An elder pointed at Jiro who, in great shock, released Kaoru and stood up. "You hide a woman that is not for you!"

Jiro spoke up, "She is my mate."

At that the elders gasped.

"That woman is not kin!" A hunter shouted.

"She gave me a child, therefore she is my mate. Do not hurt her but me who breaks the code." As he said this, Jiro's body was trembling wether it was out of fear or the knowing that the elders unraveled his secret.

Kaoru picked up her infant son and stood up. Her hand pressed slightly on Jiro's shoulder, calmin him down. "Do not show fear," she said.

"Yes, you break the code and she and the child must die!"

"Wait-" Jiro wrapped a protective arm around his mate as he saw the hunters prepare their spears.

Kaoru interjected "Do not kill the boy but take me! I seduced the man to give me a child so I should be taken away."

Jiro looked at her questionably. Why did she say such a thing when her life was in danger? Did she want to die because it seemed to be the reason. "Why do you say this?"

Kaoru sadly gazed into the eyes of the man she loved "Jiro, the child must go with you but I now meet my end. Let them kill me but spare the child as there are others like him." Tears trailed down her cheeks and sobs rumbled out her mouth. The feeling of departure overwhelmed the both of them, having been together for so long.

"Listen to the woman and the child will be here within the tribe," an elder suggested.

That night, Jiro was forced to make one of the toughest decisions he could ever make. He allowed the men to take her away, but the child was still under his protection.

Kaoru was tied up and taken to a bonfire located in the middle of the camp. All the people who had been asleep had woken up to see the execution of poor Kaoru. Jiro could do nothing but helplessly watch as his mate was tied to a log, which was lifted and stood over the fire. It spread to her quickly but she did not weep. Her crimson eyes were locked tightly with the grey eyes of her love. She never looked away. Jiro closely held his son that began wailing, trying to shield him from the cold air as his eyes continued to watch the whole scene before him.

Kaoru burned to crisp and there was no trail of her left but the son she left him. This same son had the eyes of his mother, crimson red.

During the years of his development, Jiro's son had a hard to finding himself among his kin. He was treated as an outcast because unlike the other mixed children that had the appearance of a Neanderthal, he looked like a Modern Human. His appearance made him stand out very much from the other children, minimizing his ability to form bonds with his kin.

Jiro's son surprisingly did not care much about cold treatment he received. He often brushed it off and went about his business. The only thing that bothered him was that he was called unknown. He had not been given a name by his father and questioned him constantly as to why he would not name him. It reached a point where Jiro grew tired of the complaints and decided to name his son the first object he could see. A jujube.

"Natsume, that is your name."

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** End Note**: I had previously typed this chapter closely to completion until the app I was using decided to act dumb and delete all my entries I wrote, leaving me with only my memory. I can't even rely on it because I forget things easily and I was making up ideas as I went along. Dammit... Well I tried. It may be shorter that the original typed draft. Be warned that i typed this on my ipad which is limited in the amount of corrections it can make. Stupid autocorrect...And now for the unrealistic ideas my mind came up with:

First, I changed Natsume to be a hybrid child between a Neanderthal father and a Modern Human mother. Well I think this one is realistic and that it could have happened.

Second, dialogue shouldn't be added because I'm pretty sure language had yet to be fully developed. Whatever. Lets say they all speak English and that they can understand each other. The way they speak won't be really sophisticated. I'll try to make it sound as simple as possible... I'll try.

Third, so they are apparently suppose to live in caves or something but I like tents. Who says that they all lived in caves anyway? And about the woohoo times, I don't know how ancient people had sex so ill try and make it seem ancient. I also don't know if they did any freaky ancient foreplay, who knows, maybe they did.

Wow what a crappy way to end a chapter.

I wonder if this story will dub me as the weirdest author ever.

Please continue **reading** and **review**!

**Author: Napperon**


	3. Chapter 2

**Beginning Note**: I didn't want to take too long in uploading chapters but that didn't work out too well because I have been so busy with school that I cant even get time to think properly. I type the chapters halfway until something interrupts me, then I forget. But it's Summer vacation for me now, so I will update as much as I can.

**Disclaimer**: Gakuen Alice Belongs to its rightful owner, not me.

Natsume: A mix between a Neanderthal and a Modern Human

Mikan: A Modern Human

*A Story Somewhat Like Romeo And Juliet Except Weirder*

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**Chapter Two: His and Her Life**

Many years had passed since the death of Kaoru. Natsume was now a very healthy young adult who was number one among the males in the clan. His structure was well built and his durance in any activity was strong. He was the best hunter within the group of males in his age group, able to catch more game in a few hours than all the others could ever obtain in a full day.

His father, Jiro, was growing old, not only including in age but also body. He was unable to perform well as compared to when he was younger. Natsume was doing most of his work around the village, and strangely enough, the elders praised him for his strength. They had passed that discriminatory phase and were able to accept him, however it was only because Natsume could be used to their advantage.

There were often clan wars among the Neanderthals. Members being constantly abducted by rivals. Resources being taken advantage of and shortages in food because of thievery. The hybrid young adults were usually instated in a combat group, as they often had greater strength than that of the original Neanderthals. They helped defend their clan and in return, the elders praised them with more game.

Natsume, although stronger that those in his age group, was incapable of killing rivals. He may have been much fiercer when it came to hunting but it contradicted with his mind. He felt it wrong to kill another one of his own kind and would often decline whenever the elders would command him to join the other combat groups. Despite his refusal, the elders could do little to punish him because they knew that if he was angered, they could possibly lose him as their important member of the clan.

Natsume made it clear, he wouldn't kill another being.

The jealousy of the other male clan members in his age group continued to grow and the more attention Natsume got from the elders, the greater the jealousy of the males. He was the prized possession that with more teachings, could even defeat the rivals, that is if he was convinced well enough to kill.

During one afternoon, Jiro had instructed Natsume to go hunt for food because the clan was experiencing a shortage in food and would soon have to relocate. Natsume obliged and headed out into the woods that grew very tall grasses and had towering trees. He was alone on this hunt so he didn't have to worry about having clan members being a disturbance.

Since the amount of game on the land was much smaller, he decided to go out into other boundaries of the land in hopes of finding a larger sum of animals. No one else had gone so far before because it was against the rules of the clan to go beyond the territory claimed. Going this far could get him into a whole lot of trouble not only with the elders but with possible rivals or enemies.

But he didn't care. He knew well enough how to hunt in order to avoid being detected by prey, the same would go for an enemy.

He swiftly walked though the grass, trying hard not to make much noise. He had a sharpened stick gripped in his right hand and a sack hanging over his left shoulder. His eyes scanned the area, the further he went, making sure that there weren't any others within his reach, then moved forward.

The sun was shining much brighter that day and the air was very warm. Natsume could feel the warm breeze hitting his face and it only made him feel hotter. The work was getting more tiresome as it was harder to hunt in hot temperature. His feet took him to unknown areas and no animals were seen on the land. There reached a moment where he thought he had heard the rustle of the grass and decided to head in the direction. There he saw a small animal feeding on scattered berries, not noticing him at all. That was his chance to act quickly so he picked up his spear slowly and pulled his hand back, reading to aim, until the animal suddenly froze then quickly unfroze to make its escape.

Natsume groaned in frustration. He angrily raked his fingers through his hair and dropped his spear. Just when he was about to turn around, he heard another sound, causing his guard to go up. He quickly picked up his spear and turned around, trying to figure out where the sound had come from. When he heard the sound again, he rushed towards it but then suddenly came to a halt.

On the ground and tying up the same small animal Natsume had tried to capture before was a brown haired female. She was alerted by his presence and quickly stood up, slowly turned around and faced him. As soon as she saw who, or actually what it was, her eyes widened and she hastily stepped back. When Natsume, who's eyes were wide as well, took a step forward, the female jumped in fright and ran away, leaving the animal behind.

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"Mikan!" called the mother of a young female who was currently weaving a basket. She stopped her work and stood up, dusting her knees. She made her way to her mother who was currently busy with putting together garments for the family group. As she got closer, her mother looked up and smiled. "Mikan, a beautiful one."

"Yes," replied Mikan. She sat beside her mother and folded her arms over her lap. "Is something wrong?" She asked.

Her mother's smiled grew and her slightly stained teeth could be seen between the lips. "Good news!"

Mikan couldn't help but be startled from the sudden exclamation. She looked towards her mother with questioning eyes and said, "What news?"

Her mother placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly. "I have found a spouse. You will now have a papa to care of you and mama."

Mikan didn't know whether to be happy that her mother had found a new spouse or upset that her mother's attention would be divided. It was also a bit unusual for her since the clan didn't usually allow more than one jointing between man and woman. But she guessed that this was an exception because her mother was still young and her old spouse was already lost death.

She smiled, thinking that it would be best to be showing support for her mother who was once grieving. "If mama is happy, I am happy."

Her mother hugged her daughter tightly. "He will be good for you."

"When will he come?" Mikan asked when her mother pulled away.

"Sooner than later."

Mikan's eyebrows furrowed. "I do not understand."

"You'll see," was all that her mother had said before going back to putting garments together. Mikan decided to give up on trying to decipher what her mother was saying and left the room to go back to weaving her basket.

Later that evening she met her new father. He was a tall man with shaggy whitish hair that barely reached his shoulders. His eyes were a grayish color.

Her mother was so ecstatic to see the man that Mikan felt that if her mother smiled any more, her face would freeze. The man seemed appropriate for her mother, Mikan analyzed. He was well built and seemed capable defending them whenever they would come across danger, so she accepted him.

"Shiki," her mother called the man. She reached out a hand for her daughter who accepted it and pulled her closer. "This is Mikan." She smiled down at Mikan. "He is your papa now."

Shiki stretched out an arm to pat Mikan on the shoulder, a grin on his face. "Hello."

From then on he assimilated himself into their lives, caring for them and being the leader of the family. Mikan at first was a bit wary of him but she later got to accept the man as her father and was even comfortable with calling him papa.

A few years had passed since Shiki had joined them and Mikan's mother was pregnant. They were hoping that the baby would be a boy and their wish was granted for when it came time to give birth, out came a baby boy who Shiki named Youichi.

Mikan, being the older sibling of the boy, served as a role model. She cared for him whenever her mother or father could not and would often teach him different rules of the clan. Mikan developed a close relationship with her brother that made him always follow her around. Wherever and whenever she would walk, he would be following close behind. So when Mikan decided that she was bored of her daily activities and wanted to follow the hunting group, Youichi of course trailed behind her.

The hunting group consisted of a few men, Mikan's father being the head. The elders of the clan entrusted this position to him since he was the most able man of their clan.

When Mikan had asked her father if she could follow him during his hunt, he automatically declined her. He was more willing to take Youichi with him since he was a growing boy but Youichi did not go anywhere without Mikan. This meant that in order to have Youichi join the hunting group, Mikan would have to come as well. Shiki was defeated and he had to allow Mikan to come for Youichi to follow.

Shiki gave the two of them instructions to stay close to the other hunters at all times and to not wander far. Mikan was able to comply for a while until she got curious and decided to head off somewhere else in the woods. Youichi at first was close behind her but when Mikan's pace quickened, he lost sight of her and panicked.

Mikan was walking through the tall grass, pushing them to either side of her as she moved. She wanted to know how it was like to catch game like the rest of the men in her clan since all her work was weaving at home. There was only so much a female could do within the clan and she didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to capture an animal by herself so she set up a trap. There were berries growing on a nearby bush and she decided that in order to lure an animal in, she needed to have bait and the berries would serve as the bait.

After picking as much as she could carry, she flattened grass in a randomly selected area and tossed the berries onto the bed. She then hid among the tall grass, waiting patiently for an animal to come by. Luck was on her side because not too much later, a small animal made its way to the bait and began eating the berries.

This was her chance!

She began to move but then the animal suddenly ran away, causing her to chase after it. After what seemed like a long chase, she had finally caught up with the now exhausted animal and knelt down. She placed one hand on the back and tore long strands of grass with the other. She then used the grass to tie up the animal to ensure that once it was energized, it would not escape.

The rustle of grass caught Mikan's attention. She stooped what she was doing and quickly stood up. Chills ran down her spine from the fear of turning around and being face to face with a ferocious beast. She slowly turned around to face the sound and was met with the face of another person. Her heart beat sped up and her eyes widened. She wasn't expecting another person of the other kind to be in the region. When the person took a step forward, fear overwhelmed her and she jumped, turned around and ran as fast as she could.

She could hear the pacing steps of the person coming after her and Mikan was scared for her life. She didn't know where the other hunters were currently located and it was just know that she realized that she had lost track of Youichi as well. Still, she had to run away and try to outrun the man behind her but her feet betrayed her and she collapsed to the ground. The footsteps behind her slowed down until she could hear the soft pat of feet on the grass. She sucked in a breath and turned to face the man that was following her.

Natsume could see the fear in her eyes as he drew closer to her form. Her chest was rising up and down at a fast pace, as a result of running. The closer her got, the more frightened she looked and the stare was beginning to bother him so he stopped and bent down. His body was only a few inches or so away from her and he continued to gaze intently at the female.

He wondered what she was doing all by herself where she could easily be killed by a beast if not by an enemy. Her fists were clenched tight and her eyes never left his body. She looked as if she was prepared to attack. Natsume couldn't help but inwardly chuckle. The thought of a woman trying to fight him was amusing.

Mikan crawled back a few more inches to stretch the gap between the two of them, scared of what his next move would be. She swallowed and hesitantly said, "S-Stay b-b-back!"

Natsume's eyes slightly widened at the sound of her voice. It was much higher than the voices of the women back in his clan and it sounded much softer, despite her words. He found himself trying to reply back to her but in a much calmer manner.

"It's okay," he assured but that assurance wasn't enough for her. Mikan had heard multiple tales about Neanderthals that were quit convincing. They were convicted as brutes that did not let anything get in the way of what they wanted. They used any mean necessary to obtain, even it meant killing their own kind. Shiki had told her many more tales about Neanderthals that was enough for her to believe that what they spoke was true.

The only thing that puzzled her a bit was the fact that the man didn't look as if he had the full blood of a Neanderthal. He almost looked in a way similar to her kind but his stature showed that he indeed did come Neadnerthal origins.

She couldn't trust him.

Natsume studied her face as it transitioned from fear to anger. It was amazing to him how the female was able to quickly change moods. Her anger did not bother him though because he knew that she would not be able to do much with it.

He let his eyes scan her body until they came to a stop at her legs. One leg was bruised while the other had an open wound because of her fall. Natsume could tell that the female was in pain and couldn't help but move in closer, with a hand reaching for her wounded leg.

Mikan's breathing rhythm was increasingly out of control as she felt the warm, calloused hand touch her leg. At first she tried to pull back, but then her leg was forcibly pulled toward the hand. She wanted to scream and maybe draw the attention of her clan mates, but when she saw that the man was only tending to her wound, she strangely found herself relaxing.

He had drawn the leg to his face and studied the wound carefully, wiping away dirt surrounding it. He then let his tongue glide over the surface of the wound to clean it up. Mikan gasped when she felt the warm tongue sliding over her wound. She found it both painful and slightly uncomfortable because of the pressure that was applied.

When Natsume was sure he had cleaned her wound properly, he grabbed a handful of fallen leaves and shredded them with his fingers. He then carefully applied them to her wound, making sure to cover he entire surface.

"Who are you?" Natsume heard the female say as he continued his tending.

"..." He didn't want disclose any information that could be used against him.

Mikan sighed to herself at the no reply. "Please tell me."

"Why?" Natsume suddenly interjected.

Hesitating, Mikan softly said, "You helped me." She folded her leg inward when Natsume had finished.

Even though he didn't want to tell her at first, he thought about it, seeing that maybe no harm would come his way by telling this female who he was. "I am Natsume."

"Why are you helping me?" Mikan questioned. She wanted to listen to what this supposed evil beast had to say. The way he was able to notice her wound and clean it was a surprise. The fact that he wanted to relieve her of her pain was blurring her father's description of Neanderthals by the second. "We are enemies."

"You are hurt," Natsume spoke.

"But why will you not hurt me?"

The question itself was difficult to answer. Natsume did not understand why he even wanted to assist someone who was his enemy. Maybe the idea that she was defenseless and was a woman stopped him. She also was like his mother, a Modern Human. Jiro had told him a while ago the true identity of his mother which explained to him why the other clan mates despised him. He was upset at first, learning that his mother had been burned alive due to his existence. Over time, he had to forcibly accept the truth and it made him not want to join any battles. His mother was innocent but because of him, she had died. He did not want to kill anyone else, whether an enemy or rival.

"I do not want to," he replied.

Mikan nervously smiled, realizing that she had not introduced herself to him. "I am Mikan." She was about to say something else until the rustle of grass sounded, reaching both their ears. Before they could make any move, a young boy appeared. He held a sharp stick in both hands, the tip pointing towards Natsume as the boy moved closer to Mikan. "Youichi!"

Youichi, who was identified as the boy stood beside his sister. "Are you okay?" He asked, his eyes never leaving Natsume.

Mikan nodded. "Yes, I am fine." She carefully stood up on her feet, wincing because of the pain. "The spear, put it down." The demand to the younger boy made Natsume raise an eyebrow in confusion. He was almost positive that after he had tended her wound, she would turn against him and try to inflict harm. So why was she seemingly defending him?

"He will kill us!" Youichi protested.

Natsume stood up, unafraid of what the younger boy would do. He wrapped his fingers around the wooden stick and easily pulled it away from him. Not even bothering to retrieve the weapon, Youichi instead wrapped a hand around Mikan's wrist and began jerking her toward him. He could hear the voices of the other clan mates coming close, causing him to relax a little bit. Mikan on the other hand panicked and hissed, "Go!" to Natsume who immediately dropped Youichi's stick.

He knew better than to stay around any longer or the enemies would find and kill him, but the thought of not seeing the female again unusually disturbed him. He wanted to be able to speak with her, possibly because she seemed slightly trusting enough. He also wanted to learn more about her kind, his mother's kind that was a part of him.

The noise got louder, making him speak in haste, "Come again in the dark." He then took off in the opposite direction.

Mikan and Youichi's fathered appeared on the other side with a very worried look plastered on his face. He breathed out a sigh of relief when he saw that his children were fine.

"I told you not to fall behind. Where did you go!" He was very upset, seeing as he almost could have lost two children.

The two jumped a little at the tone of his voice. Mikan decided to speak in their favor. "I am sorry papa. He and I went to hunt for berries."

Shiki shook his head. "Listen, you will not go with us to hunt again. You will stay with the others in the village." The other clan mates nodded in agreement.

At this demand Mikan felt dejected. She didn't want to be confined in one location every single day. It would leave her without the thrill of being adventurous and she would find herself trapped in authority. And as to respond to the Neanderthal's request, how could she come again when she was not allowed anymore to wander about? At this moment, she disliked her father.

"Yes papa," she deadpanned. Youichi's grip on her wrist tightened, and he looked up at his sister with sympathy.

"Come, let us go back to the village," said Shiki as he began guiding all of them back in the direction they had come from.

* * *

That night, Mikan was laying on her animal skin mat that was beside the sleeping Youichi. Shiki and Yuka were also asleep on their larger mat that was lying on the other side of the tent.

Mikan could not sleep, and did not want to. She remembered that the Neanderthal from earlier that day had told her to come again once the sun had settled and the sky was dark. It was a dark enough to sneak out without being seen but her main concern was how to find the location. She had poor memory when it came to remembering things that happened recently and could not keep track of many events. She wasn't even sure if the Neanderthal would be at that exact location as before. There was also the chance that she could be eaten by an animal lurking about in the darkness.

She quietly sat up on her mat. Despite all these tribulations, something inside of her was telling her to go. However, she was still worried that she may get lost and find herself in a forgoing land belonging to rivals or enemies. How would she get there and was the time to leave correct enough? She really wanted to get the chance to speak with another who was suppose to be her enemy but had taken care of her.

"Mikan..." Youichi whispered to his sibling who he could tell was having some sort of trouble.

Mikan turned to face the boy and gulped. "Youichi," she began but paused to form her words properly, "Do you remember?"

The boy gazed at her in confusion. "Remember what?"

"The way to the one who was with me, it was during the hunt." Youichi nodded his head slowly but his expression showed that he could predict what his sister would say next; he did not like the thought of it. "I have to go and speak with him."

"No," Youichi said then faced away from her. He did not want to listen to any of her ideas that could lead them into trouble.

Mikan heavily sighed. "Youichi, you must help me. Please let me speak with him, a little and I come back quick."

"No," came the same rely of the younger boy. This frustrated Mikan and she wanted to shout but she knew she could not, especially when Shiki and Yuka were sleeping.

"Ok, then I will find him myself," huffed Mikan as she stood up and sneaked out the tent before her brother could say a word.

She had some difficulty finding a way to pass the guard men walking back and forth from each point of the village grounds. She constantly had to hide behind tents before she could make it pass the entrance. The most difficult task was moving through the grass without making any noise that would cause her detection, but she somehow was able to get far enough without drawing any attention.

Her memory only allowed her to reach up to a certain distance and she found herself lost in the maze of tall grass which reached up to her neck. She could not see very far ahead and had trouble tracking down the hunting group's movement in the woods from earlier. Sh groaned, letting her instinct take her wherever and hopefully finding the right region.

After what seemed like hours, Mikan was beginning to become restless. She began regretting the idea of even meeting a mysterious man she had encountered during the afternoon. She was feeling tired and wanted so much to turn back around and go back to the tent, getting her sleep. And yet she was in the middle of nowhere with only the sound of the night to keep her company. She stopped walking and sat down. At this moment, the only thing she could do was try to remember the way back to the village and manage to reach there in tact.

She groaned, seeing as it was a hopeless thought. There was absolutely no way she could make it out alive, especially when she could hear the growl of a beast nearby. It sounded frightening and she wanted to push the sound away, but it was difficult especially when the growl would grow louder. Mikan had no idea how to solve the problem she singlehandedly created.

She stood up and attempted to walk back in the path she had entered from but was intercepted by a large animal on all four feet. It stared at her with glowing yellow eyes that looked like it was examining its prey, ready to pounce at any time. Mikan's fear escalated and she was trapped without any where to turn to. Trying to outrun the predator was impossible because she would undoubtedly be captured and torn apart, limb by limb.

But she couldn't dwell in the same spot forever, she needed to escape with all her might and find an area to hide. So she turned and ran, the animal chasing after her. The obstacle of tall grass made it harder to move but if it held her back, then the animal was having some trouble as well.

She hastily inhaled and exhaled as she ran. Up ahead was a large boulder surrounded by large trees. If she could make it there without being caught, it could save her life. The animal was still behind her but there was some distance between them. Mikan was able to reach the boulder but had to inspect the ground around it. The soil was soft and there was already a partially dug hole coming from underneath it; the work of a small creature. She proceeded to fall onto her knees and begin scooping out as much dirt as she could, however the pace she was going at was only allowing the large animal to approach closer.

Mikan decided to give up. There are trees around that she could climb. She just hoped that the large animal could not climb. She rapidly stood on her legs then began sprinting to a nearby tree. She had to skillfully climb the tree by using the branches but it was a challenge. The weak branches kept breaking as she climbed higher, forcing her to jump to the next and almost making her fall. She reached a branch that seemed sturdy enough and sat down. From below her. The ferocious animal was digging its sharp claws into the bark of the tree, trying to climb up.

Tears streamed down Mikan's face as she saw that her life would end before her and it was all her fault. There was the chance that the animal would stay at the bottom and wait for her to come down for a while. Her cries grew louder and the animal growled even more.

Just when she believed that there was no way to survive, her mood brightened. The animal began to fall back, not because it had gotten tired of waiting for her to come down, but because an arrow had been shot at its side. It began to whimper and limp. Another arrow came straight at its eye, causing it to fall onto its other side.

A man approached the animal in a cautious manner, holding a bow and a thin arrow. He raised the arrow in his right hand then brought it down hard through the neck of the predator. He waited until it was absolutely dead until he pulled the arrow out and looked up.

Mikan gazed back at her savior, her fear dissipating. She hesitantly got down from the tree, branch by branch, until she had reach the ground. The man watched her in curiosity. Mikan could barely view his face as the darkness made it impossible.

"I-I t-thank y-y-you," she stuttered. The man only walked near her, the moonlight making his face more visible. Mikan automatically recognized his face. "It is you," she commented.

The man was none other than Natsume, the hybrid of the Neanderthal clan. He made his way to Mikan's side, standing in a position that left only a few centimeters of space between them.

"Are you fine?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Mikan, although she was in a state of discomfort. It was not because Natsume was ther but or the reason being that she was still exposed to danger hiding in the darkness. But even though she felt uncomfortable, knowing that there was another being there to protect her let her feel safer. So when Natsume had reached out a hand to her, she took it without any hesitation.

* * *

**End Note**: Okay so I decided to let the chapter end here since I haven't updated in a long time. I will start the next chapter continuing from where this left off. Hopefully I can finish it by Saturday. I want to update as much as I possibly can.

As for grammar mistakes or spelling errors, sorry. Sometimes I don't catch all errors when proof reading.

Please continue **reading** and **review**!

**Author: Napperon**


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